


Like the sweet apple which reddens upon the topmost bough

by Moloko_and_cookies



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Crowley Was Lilith, F/F, Ineffable Wives (Good Omens), Ineffable Wives | Female Aziraphale/Female Crowley (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24261568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moloko_and_cookies/pseuds/Moloko_and_cookies
Summary: Before Eve, there was Lilith. She was friends with Aziraphale, the angel of the Eastern gate until she defied God and left the garden of Eden. Later she came back, transformed in a demon, and willing to tempt humanity.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Eden

Aziraphale opened her eyes and found Crowley still sleeping by her side. The demon lied with her face turned towards Aziraphale and her fingers rested close to the angel’s as if she were trying to grasp her. She had nothing to worry about, though, Aziraphale thought; she could stay there for ages, admiring the beautiful shape of her demon and arranging her long, auburn locks so they wouldn’t be tangled when she woke up. The white sheets contrasted with her wild mane, and the way it barely covered her naked body reminded Aziraphale of the first time she had seen her, thousands of years before, in Eden, when her name wasn’t Crowley, but Lilith.

_ Eden _

A few days had passed since the creation of the human being. Man and woman; Adam and Lilith. It was such a strange concept for an angel since ethereal beings didn’t make a difference between male and female. They were all the same. The Almighty said that she had made humans that way so they could reproduce by themselves instead of asking God to give them children. Aziraphale looked at Adam and Lilith with curiosity; they were very similar to angels in shape, and yet so different. Adam’s body was more straight and angular, with a flat chest, while Lilith’s body was curvier and had a soft chest. From the top of the wall of the garden, Aziraphale admired their beauty and happiness. She sensed the human’s love, and that was more than enough to make the kind angel happy. However, time passed and Aziraphale noticed that Adam and Lilith spent less time together, and the feeling of love was not as strong as it used to be in the beginning.

One day, the angel was exploring a bush covered in colourful flowers when someone startled her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to bother you; I didn’t know you were there.” When Aziraphale turned around, she was facing Lilith, who looked at her with a friendly smile from behind a tree. Of all the wonders the Almighty had created, Aziraphale thought, Lilith had to be one of the most beautiful. Her hair, the colour of fire, fell down to her navel in soft waves, and made a beautiful contrast with the greenery around her; her eyes, somewhere between green and gold, glistened in the shade under the leaves, like those of cats and tigers. “You are the angel who guards the door, right?” she asked, pointing at Aziraphale’s flaming sword, which lied on the grass beside the angel.

“Yes… Yes, I am the Guardian of the Eastern Gate.” Aziraphale answered politely, with a smile as bright as a star. “My name is Aziraphale… Oh, please, be careful!” She warned Lilith, who had picked up the sword and was admiring it; the fire reflecting in her eyes.

“I’ve seen you many times up there, on the wall, with this. I wondered how it felt, holding it in my hand. I have no idea what it is, but I feel… powerful.”

“It’s a sword. It was issued to me for your protection.”

Lilith still held the sword in her hands, weighing it and examining every detail with curiosity.

“How do you use it?”

“If an adversary comes, I can cut or burn them.” Although Aziraphale tried to appear fierce and imposing while saying so, she was still a bit soft. Lilith, meanwhile, had sat on the grass, leaning comfortably against a tree, and handed the sword back to Aziraphale.

“I’ve never seen an adversary. What is that?” Lilith frowned with interest. The angel glanced at her with tenderness. The woman ignored the existence of demons, of course; in the garden, there was not a single threat –except, perhaps, the forbidden tree-, so the humans did not even know what words like “evil” and “adversary” meant.

“They are… were… angels, once. Like me, you know? But they disobeyed and became our enemies. You don’t have to worry though; nothing can hurt you here.” The angel explained, as plainly as she could. Celestial matters were very complex, and she was not very sure about Lilith being able to grasp them yet.

Soon, Aziraphale noticed that Lilith was much more intelligent than she had thought at first; not only that, but she was thirsty for knowledge. She usually looked for the angel and asked her questions about everything: the Garden, the world outside it, the angels… Aziraphale was not very sure about whether she should be telling her certain things, but she did it anyway, just to see how Lilith opened her eyes in surprise and smiled before asking another question. It was like seeing her lit up like a star, or bloom like a flower. Aziraphale understood her; she also wanted to know, to explore, to learn… It could be said that they had become best friends. Adam, on the contrary, hardly ever talked to the angel, and every day he spent less time with Lilith; the love between them, Aziraphale noticed, had almost completely faded away. Aziraphale even heard them arguing every now and then. After those arguments, Lilith called the angel, as if she found peace and calm in their conversations. One day, Aziraphale caught her staring longingly at the forbidden tree.

“I still don’t understand.” She murmured. That day she did not ask any question, her gaze was lost somewhere among the branches of the tree; her eyes did not sparkle as they usually did and her lips were tense. She looked worse than the previous times. “I don’t know why it is wrong for us to take one. And why is it there if she doesn’t want us to eat the fruit? She shouldn’t have put it there in the first place.”

“I… I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for that, my dear.” Lilith didn’t say anything else; she did not even look at the angel, she was focused on playing with the petals of a flower. Aziraphale had realised that that was not the only matter that troubled Lilith’s mind, it was only an excuse. “Is everything alright, Lilith?”

She didn’t reply instantly.

“Do angels make love, Aziraphale?” The question came as a sigh, after what seemed a few moments of reflection. “I know you are beings of love, but…”

“I know what you mean… I don’t think so… You know, our bodies are different… I’m sorry I cannot help you out today, my dear.”

“It’s alright, angel.” Lilith looked at Aziraphale now, with a smile on her lips, although it did not reflect on her eyes. She leaned closer to the angel and placed the flower between her golden curls. “You have been a very good friend, Aziraphale. I want to be honest with you. Will you promise to keep a secret for me?” Aziraphale was intrigued, but Lilith was serious and, judging by her expression, very worried. So, without giving it a second thought, the angel nodded. “The truth is… I’m not very happy here anymore… at least not as happy as I ought to be. Adam and I don’t like to be together anymore either…” Of course, Aziraphale already knew this. “He… We should be equal… God created us the same.” Lilith spoke with determination, despite the little bit of sorrow that leaked into her voice. “But it’s like he doesn’t care, you know? I’ve had enough, Aziraphale. I won’t let him treat me like I am less than him anymore.” Aziraphale was astonished. She had never heard Lilith talking like that; actually, the woman hardly ever mentioned Adam during their conversations. “Thank you for listening to me, Aziraphale. It means a lot.” She added a moment later, and, to the angel’s surprise, she caressed her cheek. It was the first time she touched Aziraphale like that, with a special kind of affection. Lilith had not told her everything, though, Aziraphale could see it in her eyes, but she decided not to say anything else unless Lilith wanted to talk.

That was the last time Aziraphale ever saw Lilith. The following day she was not there. The angel waited in their favourite places of the garden, looked for her, and even called, but she never came back. Instead, there was another woman, a new one that had been created from Adam’s rib, Eve. Aziraphale liked her, too, but they never got as close as she had been with Lilith. Eve spent much more time with Adam; it was clear that they loved each other, which made the angel happy. However, she could not stop wondering what had happened to her dear friend.

_Eden’s Wall_

“That went down like a lead balloon…” The voice interrupted Aziraphale’s thoughts. There was something familiar about it. The angel immediately recognised the person standing by her side, no matter how much she had changed. How to forget that red hair, that smile or those golden eyes?

“Lilith?” Had Aziraphale been a human being, she would have stopped breathing. “You have… changed…” She remarked, referring to the large wings behind Lilith’s back and her snake eyes. And there was something else: she wasn’t human anymore, but an immortal being, like Aziraphale, only darker… a demon.

“Crawly.” She corrected.

Seeing her again should have made Aziraphale happy, after such a long time wondering what had happened to her human friend. Now, however, seeing her like that, hurt more than she would have wished. Lilith, or Crawly, was alive; she was fine and looked happy, but she was Aziraphale’s enemy now, meaning that their friendship could lead them both to have problems with their respective sides. How ironic, the angel thought, remembering their first conversation; or, more accurately, how cruel. What had Lilith done to become a demon? Maybe it was all God’s plan. For the first time in a long time, Aziraphale wished she was able to stop and change whatever was going on in the Almighty’s mind.

“Well… Are you going to tell me what happened to you, my dear?” Aziraphale inquired while they watched the first storm ever. “You didn’t say goodbye…”

“I know. I’m sorry, angel; I’m really sorry, but I didn’t have time.” When Crawly looked down at her feet, her thick curtain of red hair concealed her face. “I asked the Almighty a few questions, I told her about my disagreement with Adam. Then, I guess things got a bit heated up…” Crawly sighed and turned back to Aziraphale. There was a smile on her face, despite the fact that her memories seemed painful. “Next thing I knew, I was swimming in a pool of boiling sulphur; I had scales and this beautiful pair of wings… I really like the wings, they make me look like a crow, don’t you think?” Crawly proved her point spreading and shaking them a bit. They were deep black, almost blue, and some of the raindrops that had fallen on them glistened like small crystals reflecting the light. They definitely fit her, Aziraphale thought, resisting the urge to touch the velvety feathers. They were a demon’s wings, she was an angel… could it hurt any of them? “Beelzebub found me. They told me I was a demon and gave me my new name when they saw I had a snake form. ” Aziraphale was completely unable to speak. She remembered the fall, but she never thought that the Almighty could do that to a human, her own children… Why not just evicting her from Eden, as she had done to Adam and Eve? It was better not to think about the pain Crawly had endured and for what reason. “I came up here a few days ago. I saw you there, by the tree, with your flaming sword. It was nice seeing that the Almighty hadn’t done anything to you despite your association with me. That idea had been worrying me for months.” Crawly’s smile grew bigger, her eyes glistening, as precious as they had always been. “I saw that new woman, Eve, as well. She seemed much happier than I ever was… Good for her. Then, Hell sent me to stir some trouble… Maybe they thought that I was perfect for that matter, being the only one who had been human before. You know I was curious about the tree, so I chose to do something about that.”

Aziraphale sat in silence for a couple of minutes. She wanted to tell Crawly she had missed her and her questions, but, how to tell that to a demon? Things had changed between them, as much as she hated to admit it. That, and the idea that she had somehow done something wrong when she had given her sword to Adam and Eve, disturbed Aziraphale’s mind.

“How is this thing called?” It was Crawly who broke the silence again, her hand reaching up, gathering raindrops. “I don’t remember it happening when I was up here…”

“Oh, it is the first time it happens. God called it 'rain'. She explained the whole process… a bit too long and boring; I don’t think you want to hear it.” She giggled.

“I still like your explanations.” Crawly’s voice had softened. She gazed at the angel intently, waiting for her to continue. Aziraphale could not resist that look; it brought so many memories, and perhaps a little bit of hope. After all, despite Lilith being now a demon called Crawly, she was still herself.

“I have to leave, angel.” Crawly said when it started to get dark. The fact that her eyes gleamed in the dark made her more intimidating, like a beast that lurked between the greenery at night, ready to fall on her prey. “Hell wants a mission report. I hope I can see you again soon.”

Crawly belonged in Hell now, and Aziraphale was still an angel. As Crawly slithered away, transformed into a big, black snake, the angel feared that she would not see her again in a very long time. And, if she did, their friendship would not be the same again.


	2. Lesbos, 6th century BC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long to continue this story, but I've had a strange and busy summer. I promise the next chapters will be published very soon.

Aziraphale lifted her face towards the sun, trying to soak in its warmth and light. She loved Greece, the Mediterranean coast, and its many delights. She was there because, as she had told Heaven, she wanted to promote arts and creativity, and it had been on the island of Lesbos where she had found a place that she could almost call her home. The young women at the temple of Aphrodite had easily welcomed her and everyone loved hearing her tell stories about a luxurious garden that did not exist anymore while she taught them about poetry. They thought that that garden had actually never existed and that Aziraphale was just very fond of that allegory. The island exuded beauty and love, so Aziraphale felt like she truly belonged there instead of Heaven.

“Aziraphale, you sleepyhead!” A woman approached her and offered her hand to help the angel stand up. Her name was Melissa and was one of her friends there, a woman who was especially fond of her ability to sing and play music. “We were looking for you and I guessed you would have come here and fallen asleep, as always.” Melissa giggled. “There’s a new one, come meet her.”

Aziraphale followed her towards a room where all the other keepers of the temple and some visitors gathered around the newcomer. As they approached, Aziraphale’s heart skipped a beat. In the middle of the room, there was a tall woman dressed in a dark gown, with her red hair arranged in an elegant updo. You didn’t see many women like that there. Could it be her, after so many decades? Please, be her, Aziraphale wished, being completely aware that she was wishing to see a demon, an adversary, someone she should be willing to fight and defeat.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.” She whispered to Melissa, who still held her by her arm, her eyes fixed in the other woman’s back, mesmerised by her elegant appearance.

“I said that she is a bit strange, I don’t think she is from here. She wears dark pieces of glass before her eyes and said her name was Crawly or something like that.”

“Yes, Crawly.” Aziraphale may have said that a bit too loud, because it called the attention of the woman, who stopped talking to the people surrounding her and turned around, a bit bothered. Her expression, however, changed as soon as her eyes made contact with the angel. The shift was obvious even behind the dark glass. She told something to the others and walked towards Aziraphale. “It’s been so long, my dear.”

“Ages, angel.”

“Did you know each other before?” Melissa stood between them, confused, especially after hearing the way they addressed each other.

“We are old friends, Melissa. We are very old friends.” Crawly answered. The young woman realised that none of them was really paying attention to her, so she murmured an apology and joined the others, leaving Crawly and Aziraphale alone. “Shall we go somewhere more private?”

They walked together, in silence, until they arrived at the hidden spot where Melissa had found Aziraphale. Once they were far from everyone else’s sight, Crawly took off her glasses, showing her yellow eyes, and explained how she had designed them to stop humans from asking and getting scared of her eyes, although in exchange she got even more questions and even curious hands trying to touch or steal them. The latter often gave up as soon as they perceived Crawly’s glare from behind the lenses or a set of sharp fangs that could not be human at all.

There were many thoughts inside the angel’s mind. Some of them were joyous because seeing Crawly –something that only happened once every few decades- was always good news. On the other hand, her being there probably meant that she was planning some kind of demonic intervention, which could ruin Aziraphale’s peace at that place.

“I didn’t expect seeing you here.” Crawly said while she toyed with her glasses.

“Neither did I. Infernal deeds?”

Crawly scowled. “Why can’t a demon just take a short vacation from evil and enjoy the beach, the wine …?” To prove her point, she laid down idly on a patch of grass, her hands behind her head.

“Alright, I get it. Sorry, it’s just… you know… an old habit. I’m an angel and I’m here to protect these girls. And you are a demon… It’s basically my duty.”

“I was joking.” Crawly laughed out loud. “You are right, angel. I’m here to tempt them.” The laugh stopped suddenly, as Crawly realised that Aziraphale was serious, even worried. The demon sat up again quickly and put her glasses on again. “Listen to me, angel, please. I’m not going to hurt them; you know I would _never_ hurt them. Women come here to ask for love, a husband, and happy married life and I’m here to… I’d call it opening their eyes…”

“So, you are tempting them into _avoiding_ marriage.” Aziraphale sighed. Well, it wasn’t _that_ bad after all. On the other hand, the consequences could be very negative for them… or maybe just revolutionary. It was a rather unpredictable situation. Anyway, it was her job as an angel to make sure that those women respected the rules and traditions.

“You know I’ve always abhorred the idea of marriage, being submitted to someone… They could be brilliant artists on their own… philosophers! But if they get married, chances are… sensibly lower.” Aziraphale nodded, remembering the last days Crawly –Lilith, back then- had spent in Eden. Perhaps she was right, or at least not completely wrong. Aziraphale was brought back to the present by Crawly’s gown grasping her hand, floating in the cool breeze. The touch, albeit soft and brief, caused a warm and reassuring sensation in Aziraphale. “At least now I’m happy to know that there is at least one person who answers all their questions about the world.”

“I do.” The angel’s face lit up again. “They are not as curious as you, though, but they like poetry and music,” Aziraphale said proudly. “They are good students.”

Aziraphale picked a grape from a plate that hadn’t been there a couple of seconds before and bit it, letting the sweet juice flood her mouth and stain her lips. If she hadn’t been so focused on the fruit, the angel would have noticed a pair of reptilian eyes following the movement of her lips.

“That’s why you came here in the first place, isn’t it? The poetry and the music, I mean.”

“I was supposed to come and gift one of them, Sappho, with a bit of divine inspiration.” Initially, it had been just the usual kind of miracle. Then, Aziraphale had met the future poetess, and had realised that she did not really need her help; she was already brilliant.

“So you are Aphrodite.” Something in Crawly’s voice, or perhaps it was in the way she smiled, made Aziraphale blush and stutter. “Come on, angel, I’ve read her poems too.” At that point, Aziraphale’s cheeks were almost the colour of grapes she was eating nervously as if she was trying to choke on them. She had never cared too much about her appearance, although she had developed a certain taste for feminine presentation and clothing throughout the years, just because she liked it. However, she had never intentionally tried to make herself pretty, and certainly, nothing even close to a goddess of love and beauty. But she was aware that some women envied her golden hair and bright, lively eyes.

“I am not pretending to be a goddess!” The angel exclaimed, scandalised, avoiding Crawly’s stare. “I’m sure that would be blasphemous.”

“Yeah… It sure is… But where would all the fun be if it wasn’t?”

Aziraphale coughed on a grape. “What do you mean?”

“Remember Mesopotamia, Angel? Well, some people started to worship me, thinking I am some kind of Goddess. And who am I to tell them the truth? It’s easier for me to tempt them.” This time it was Crawly who made two cups of mead appear out of nowhere and drank from one of them with a look of utter satisfaction on her face.

“I guess that’s your job as well…” Aziraphale murmured, as she made a small flower bloom in her hand. “By the way, if we are going to be here, working at the same time, we should be careful... I’ll have to try and stop you…”

“And I’ll have to try and ruin your blessings, angel.” Crawly finished the sentence looking directly into her friend’s eyes through her glasses. “I know; no need to worry. You just keep doing your job, alright?”

The next days at the temple were peaceful, like any other day before Crawly’s arrival. Women came to pray to Aphrodite and ask her to help them with their love lives. Aziraphale blessed them –not without reluctantly recalling Crowley’s comment on her being the goddess- while she kept an eye on Sappho and pretended to tend for some flowers or read something. Sometimes, Aziraphale caught the demon talking to the women while they listened attentively to her. Aziraphale preferred not to know what Crawly told them; otherwise, it would be more difficult to keep the appearances. However, the angel still feared being caught pretending to ignore that a demon was tempting a handful of women in front of her. The fear increased with some of them started to behave differently, asking awkward questions, or dropping hints that marriage was not in their plans anymore. And it came to its highest point one afternoon when she was walking around the garden alone, picking flowers to make some decorations. A tall figure approaching startled her, almost causing her to drop the flowers.

“Aziraphale, you look radiant!” Gabriel greeted her. “This place seems to be very good for you. And we’ve heard that your mission goes just as planned…”

“Well… Yes… I mean…” Aziraphale cleared her throat before speaking and tried to control her shaky voice. “This land radiates creativity and love, doesn’t it?”

“It does, indeed, Aziraphale. And all this is thanks to your outstanding job. We are proud of you, Aziraphale; we really are.” Aziraphale forced a smile. Although Gabriel appeared proud and happy, he hardly ever congratulated Aziraphale personally. That fact alone made Aziraphale suspect that he wanted to tell her something else that could not wait until she went up to Heaven to do her periodic report. “However, we’ve noticed something odd. We have detected some evil presence around here, so I came to make sure that you are aware…” Aziraphale opened her eyes in surprise and even gasped. “It’s not because we don’t trust you, Aziraphale, but please, understand that we have to be sure.”

“Of course I do, Gabriel. Evil never sleeps, so it’s better so stay aware…” Aziraphale replied in an indulgent tone, only to gain some time while she found a good excuse. “I’ve been focused on my mission, so I hadn’t noticed anything yet… I’ll be alert from now on and I’ll stop any evil forces around… her… Sappho, I mean. Thank you for the warning, Gabriel. Now, if you excuse me…” Aziraphale lifted the bouquet intently, giving Gabriel her most polite smile. “The girls are waiting for the flowers…”

“Oh, right. I won’t bother you any longer. Good luck with those evils, Aziraphale; remember that we trust you.”

Aziraphale’s smile vanished as soon as Gabriel disappeared behind some trees. Then she took a deep breath and decided that she had to talk with Crawly urgently.

“Aziraphale!” Another voice distracted the angel. This time, it was Sappho herself. “I saw you talking with a man. Who was he? He seemed handsome and interesting.”

Aziraphale stuttered. If Sappho had seen them, she could tell it to the others. Then, the rumours would start and peace would be over for Aziraphale.

“He was one of my brothers.” The best choice, Aziraphale thought, would be a simple answer, easy to believe. Also, it was somehow true. “He’s come to see me and ask how I’m doing.” Sappho nodded and didn’t ask more questions, at least about him. “Now that we are alone, Aziraphale, I want to talk to you about something.”

“Alright, but you will have to tell me while we walk. I need to find Crawly.” The angel was unable to deny her advice to Sappho, whose hand gripped Aziraphale’s arm with urgency.

“It won’t take much time. I just need to know your opinion on something.” Sappho waited for Aziraphale to nod before continuing. “I’ve been working on a poem and I would like you to hear it.”

Aziraphale’s pace became slower as she listened to Sappho sing about the lost love of a girl. Being an angel meant that Aziraphale did not have the same necessities and impulses as humans; nevertheless, she ate and drank even though she did not need it. She liked to indulge in those small pleasures. That was exactly how Aziraphale felt when she listened to Sappho. Despite her not having ever had a lover, her mind filled with images of soft skin under her fingers; the tickling sensation in her when a lover whispered in her ear and her lips grasped her neck; her fingers tangled in silky red locks and a pair of golden eyes that seemed to burn even in the darkness… Aziraphale startled and tried to wipe out that image from her mind while she convinced herself that that did not mean anything at all.

“Is there anything wrong?” The poet asked. She opened her eyes like a scared animal as if she thought that Aziraphale’s reaction had been caused by her poem being bad.

“No! No, my dear, absolutely not. Not at all.” Aziraphale cleared her throat. “On the contrary. It’s very… intense… sensual… suggestive… Full of love.” Certainly, she did not know how to describe her feelings at that moment without giving away too much. “You were truly inspired by the goddess when you composed it.”

Sappho relaxed. “I knew you would appreciate and understand it, Aziraphale.” She said, her smile growing bigger. Aziraphale, however, looked like she had been surprised doing something she shouldn’t be doing, and that was exactly what she thought that had just happened. “I mean… You always talk about love, and it’s like you feel it very… intensely.” She noticed Aziraphale’s uneasiness, so she tried to explain. “I mean, I’m not sure whether you’ve been in this situation or…”

“There is something else, isn’t it?” Aziraphale insinuated, trying to avoid what Sappho was trying to imply. “In the poem, I mean; there is something you want to tell me about.”

Sappho looked away and sighed like she was trying to figure out where to start. “Crawly was talking to us the other day… and she said something… something about not pretending that we love someone we don’t love and not doing something we don’t want to do, even if we are expected to do it.”

“Crawly is very wise, indeed,” Aziraphale muttered, inviting the poetess to continue.

“Sure… But it made me realise something. I’m supposed to marry someone, sometime. What if I don’t want to? What if…” Sappho lowered her voice. “I love someone I can’t have? Someone I can’t marry?” Her gaze drifted towards a group of women who were sitting by a fountain, laughing and playing.

“Oh…” Aziraphale understood. One of them was soon to marry; they all knew her future husband, a good, handsome man. Everyone liked him, except his future wife and Sappho, Aziraphale had noticed. “I see. Well, sometimes we have to do things we don’t like. That’s how things work…” The expression on the woman’s face broke Aziraphale’s heart, her betrayed glare piercing the Angel like a burning knife.

“You always talk about love… about how sacred and joyful it is…” Sappho told off Aziraphale, although her voice did not sound angry at all, but rather sad and disappointed. “Sorry…” She added, in a calmer tone. “I… It isn’t easy… But I guess you are more… experienced…”

“You are right, my dear. Love is a good thing, it comes from the divine.” Aziraphale comforted her, although she brushed off her remark about her experience with love. “You might not be able to marry her; or your love might be unrequited, but you can still find pleasure in love, use it for good; devote it to art, to the goddess…”

“To the goddess of love?” Sappho scoffed, bitterly. “She’s the one who has done this to us.”

“She will make it up for you. She always does.” Aziraphale tried to comfort Sappho with the most angelic expression on her face. “I am afraid I can only suggest you be patient and hopeful. The gods have their own plans for you, and you have to accept them…” She refrained from mentioning ineffability to the poor girl, she was troubled enough already.

The young poetess smiled sadly at the angel and thanked her before walking away towards the temple, looking down. The other girl, seeing Sappho, followed her closely. Aziraphale stared at them from the distance, wishing she could do something for the two lovers. She could, of course –she was an angel, after all-, but she was not allowed. For a second, she lamented being an angel. She would do so many things if she did not care so much about following rules…

“What a nice couple!” A new voice surprised the angel. It was a seductive voice, low, silky and fluid, but dangerous at the same time, like the movement of a snake among the grass. A sly smile could be perceived from the sound of that voice. Crawly, unlike Aziraphale, appeared to be very happy. “I think they are running away together soon… That’s the little temptation that I have instilled in your poetess’ mind.”

“No.” Aziraphale’s voice reflected her sadness. It broke her heart, having to ruin the two girls’ love story. No one appreciated seeing humans love each other as much as she did. “I already changed that. It was difficult, though. Congrats, I guess.”

“Give her a couple of days, angel. She is young and in love… And she could still write poetry…”

“That’s not the reason why I’m worried” Aziraphale turned around, visibly concerned. “Gabriel’s been here. He knows that you are here. Well… not you… you… He knows that there is a demon around here. You shouldn’t even be this close to me. If my plans go wrong… they’ll know it was my fault for not being careful.”

“I have already tempted a few girls.” Crawly shrugged. “I guess I don’t need Sappho. And I am leaving for Athens, anyway. Big cities are funnier: rich people, politicians… lots of people to tempt and corrupt.” Her smile grew bigger with each word she pronounced, and Aziraphale managed to see her eyes glint with anticipation and evil. The angel’s spine shivered; a natural response of her angelic instinct when she was in front of an adversary, even when that adversary was her friend. “I should say goodbye to the girls.”

Aziraphale opened her mouth. She wanted to be successful in her mission. But she didn’t want Crawly to leave. Not so soon. Not without a proper goodbye. What was a proper goodbye for an angel and a demon? Aziraphale had absolutely no idea, but the least she expected –and she would never admit it in front of anyone- to be assured that there would be a next time for them.

“By the way,” Crawly added “Just in case you want to find me… I’m thinking about changing my name. I didn’t choose Crawly, and I don’t like it anymore… Crowley sounds better.”

**Author's Note:**

> The title, "Like the sweet apple which reddens upon the topmost bough", is the first verse of a poem by Sappho.


End file.
